Tournament of the World
by JadeDragonKnight
Summary: A tournament is being held for the strongest fighters of the world.  When King Dedede is informed of it, he sets out immediately with his warrior.  This fighter is in for the fight of his life.  This story is filled with action, humor, and surprises.
1. Chapter I

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter I

It was turning out to be a beautiful day in Dream Land. As always, the villagers are going about their normal routines as the children found things to keep themselves entertained. The weather was perfect, not too hot or too cold. Fluffy clouds rolled by in the deep blue sky. However, a perfectly normal day doesn't make much of a story, does it?

King Dedede sat in a lawn chair outside on his balcony. He had big, dark sunglasses covering his eyes. A stripped umbrella stood next to his chair, shielding his face from the bright sunlight. It seemed like nothing could break him out of his relaxed state.

"Your majesty, your majesty!"

A loud familiar voice echoed through the halls and quickly approached.

"You have to see this!" Escargon screamed as he ran out onto the terrace.

"This is really import-"

He stopped short when he ran too fast and almost threw himself off the balcony. He screamed in fear as he looked down at the land hundreds of feet below. He seized struggling for a moment and rolled himself from the precarious position.

"Calm down, you're being noisy in the presence of the king of evil," King Dedede stated calmly. He frowned for a second and muttered, "Whoa, déjà-vu."

"Look at this," the attendant said as he ran over to the lounging king.

He held a piece of paper that looked like it had been ripped off in a hurry from where it was hanging.

"It says a kingdom in the east is holding a tournament," Escargon stated excitably.

"What makes that important?" Dedede asked taking the flyer from him.

"The challenge is for the greatest fighters in the world," Escargon explained, "and the person that wins earns the title 'Champion of the World'."

The king suddenly sat up and shouted, "Forget that! Look at the size of this trophy!"

He was pointing to a picture of the trophy in the middle of the paper. It was solid gold with a polished wooden base. It was in the shape of a cup with golden branches forming a circle in the middle. The symbol of the kingdom that was hosting the tournament was between the branches. The base had a golden plate on it that had 'Champion of the World' engraved on it. There was an empty space below it for the winner's name.

Dedede looked at the empty space on the base and imagined his name neatly engraved on it.

"Do you know how much that trophy is worth?" Dedede asked excitably. If you looked hard enough, you could see dollar signs in his eyes.

Escargon crossed his arms and disappointedly muttered, "I knew you'd only be interested in the prize."

The king jumped up and exclaimed, "I got to enter and win that trophy!"

"Wait!" Escargon shouted stopping the king in his tracks, "we don't even know how many matches there are."

The king chuckled a bit, looked at the paper and said, "There's probably five, ten… ONE HUNDRED!"

"What?" Escargon shouted as he took another look at the flyer.

The king slumped back in his chair in despair.

"There is no way I'm going to survive that," Dedede concluded.

"There's still a chance," Escargon stated reading off the paper, "It says royalty can enter their strongest subject to compete. The winning king gets the trophy and the subject will earn the title."

"That's even better," the king said jumping back up, "I'll get the prize and I won't even have to fight!"

"But who are you going to enter?"

"Don't worry, I got the perfect person."

* * *

Fumu and Bun continued to walk through the corridors. Kirby walked behind them, carrying a laundry basket filled with clean clothes on top of his head.

"Thanks for helping us with the clothes Kirby," Fumu said happily.

"Yeah, but next time don't try to eat the detergent," Bun suggested.

"Piyo," Kirby cheerfully replied.

Then, they saw King Dedede and Escargon walking towards them. They stopped and waited to see what they wanted. Kirby placed the basket on the ground next to him.

"We need to see Kirby for a second," Escargon stated as he came close. He was holding out a rolled up piece of paper.

"What for?" Fumu asked suspiciously as she snatched the paper from the attendant.

Escargon glared at her from her sudden action as she read through the flyer.

"A hundred match tournament?" Bun asked when he leaned in to look at it.

"Oh no," Fumu said angrily throwing the flyer aside, "you are _not _entering Kirby in that tournament!"

"We didn't ask you, you little brat!" Escargon replied, pointing at her.

"For your information," Dedede explained, crossing his arms, "we weren't going to enter Kirby."

"What," everyone asked in surprise, even Escargon.

"You can keep the paper," the king said as he turned and left.

The attendant looked at him in surprise for a moment then followed him.

"What are you doing? We _were _going to enter Kirby," Escargon whispered.

"You saw their reaction," Dedede replied, "they weren't going to let us use Kirby. They'd probably mess things up anyway."

"We don't have anyone better than Kirby! He was our only shot!"

"Not true, we have the knights."

"How are they better than Kirby?"

"You'll see," King Dedede reassured.

* * *

The castle's knights were practicing in the courtyard. All their swords were drawn and posed for attack. Blade and Sword stood facing Meta Knight. A red cloth was tied loosely on Meta Knight's left arm. Then, Blade and Sword split up and charged at him. Meta Knight glanced at both at them and readied himself. Sword raised his sword and came down on him. Meta Knight blocked it and pushed him away. Then, he dodged Blade's attack from behind. His subordinates continued to attack him. When Meta Knight's weapon locked with Sword's, Blade lunged at the red cloth. Meta Knight noticed and quickly moved his left arm out of the way. When Blade got close, he elbowed the top of his helmet, sending him to the ground. He then turned to Sword, threw both blades up, and shoved him away. Sword fell to the ground from his loss of balance. The subordinates panted.

"Are you two tired already?" Meta Knight asked.

"This is hard," Blade complained.

"You made it sound easy when you said we just had to get that cloth," Sword added, sitting up.

"Well, this training is working," Meta Knight stated while removing the cloth, "your teamwork is improving."

He tossed it aside. Sword and Blade stopped panting and looked at it. Suddenly, they sprang up and raced toward it. Before either of them could get it, they slammed their heads together. The sound of metal hitting metal rang through the air. They both collapsed and held their skulls in pain.

"Then again, maybe it's not," Meta Knight sighed.

Then, they noticed the king and his attendant enter the courtyard. Sword and Blade stood up as they stopped in front of them.

"Meta Knight, I got to ask you something," Dedede smirked.

The knights looked questionably at him.

Escargon grabbed the king and said, "Could you hold on for a second?"

The attendant turned around and yanked Dedede down to eye level.

"Meta Knight? Are you serious?" he asked quietly.

"He's just as tough as Kirby," Dedede whispered back.

"But he's not as adaptable! He won't last ten rounds!" Escargon murmured angrily.

"Calm down you old geezer, he'll be fine."

They got up and faced the knights.

"Meta Knight, you've heard of that tournament some kingdom in the east is holding, right?" King Dedede asked.

"I've heard about it," he replied.

"Good," Dedede grinned, "Because I'm entering you as my fighter."

"No way," Sword and Blade objected, running up between them.

"That tournament is a hundred matches!" Sword added.

"Entering it would be suicide!" Blade argued.

"Sword, Blade."

The subordinates turned to their lord. He looked at them as if acknowledging their outburst.

"I accept," Meta Knight stated to Dedede.

"My lord," the knights muttered in surprise.

King Dedede laughed and said, "That's what I like to hear!" He clapped his hands together and added, "That's settled. We'll set out as soon as possible!"


	2. Chapter II

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter II

Escargon continued to drive the large, luxurious car King Dedede ordered from the Holy Nightmare Company some time ago. The dirt road seemed to go on forever in the green, rolling hills. Only a few farms dotted the empty land. Dedede turned a map in all directions, trying to find something.

"So, where do I go now?" Escargon asked.

"I don't know! I can't tell which side of this map is down! Which road are we on again?" Dedede replied.

Meta Knight sat in the back seat, trying to get some sleep. He found it difficult since they started arguing about the directions.

"I can't remember. We've been on this road for an hour now!" the attendant explained.

"I can't even find that kingdom that's holding the tournament. We are going east right?"

"Yes sire, but we probably passed it."

"We couldn't have passed it. We didn't see any other roads out here. We're in the middle of nowhere!"

They continued to argue. Meta Knight tried again to tune them out.

"Wait a second, what's that?" Dedede asked.

Meta Knight sleepily opened his eyes and took a look himself.

"It looks like a village," Escargon added.

A grin creased the king's face as he saw a large castle with a bright, colorful flag hanging from the front of it. It had the same symbol as the one on the trophy.

"We made it! Let's get in that tournament!" Dedede exclaimed happily.

* * *

They took a look around when they pulled in. The village was more like a bustling town. Large stone houses lined the streets. Market stalls dotted the cobble stone road. The townspeople were at the markets and the many stores. Their voices filled the air. They were selling things and communing with each other.

Escargon sighed as he noticed the street was crowded with people.

"We'll never be able to drive through this," he said.

King Dedede got a megaphone from the glove box and stood on top of his seat.

"Hey," he shouted through it, "clear a path for the king of Dream Land!"

The intensified voice rang through the air, grabbing the townspeople's attention. They slowly began to part like the Red Sea and make a path.

"See? You just got to yell at them," Dedede said to his attendant.

"If only the villagers back home were this cooperative," he added, shifting gears and rolling forward.

They slowly rode into town and made their way to the castle. The townspeople didn't seem to mind as they reentered the streets once they passed. Meta Knight sat up and got a good look at the people. Most of them were dressed in general attire. The men wore some form of sash and the women wore a cloth over their hair. He figured they were the actually townspeople, but there were other people there as well. Some of them carried swords on their back or on their waist. A few were dressed in tradition fighting uniforms.

'_They must be the other challengers,' _Meta Knight thought.

Soon, they left the town and entered into the castle area. It was even bigger up close. It had the looks of any other medieval castle.

"We still have to sign up for the tournament. They probably take the entries in there," Escargon stated.

"Right, we'll do that first," Dedede replied, "but it wouldn't hurt to look around a bit. They might have a king's suite in there."

* * *

The group gazed in awe at the castle's interior. The ceiling was high above them with beautiful wooden arches supporting the gray stone. Large banners lined the walls for the tournament. Armor suits stood in attention along the walls. They seemed to be welcoming the guests. Other people walked by and were seen communicating, some in different languages. They appeared to be the challengers. Meta Knight quickly realized that they weren't the only 'royal entries'. He noticed the people dressed in high grade clothes with their advisors and fighters. The group saw a table at the end of the entry hall. Two men were sitting at it with papers stacked around them.

"There's the sign up table," Escargon informed, pointing.

He and Dedede ran up to it. Meta Knight continued to look around. Dedede nearly slammed into the table in his rush.

"Start writing, we're signing up for the tournament," Dedede commanded.

"Ok," one of the older men said, taking up a pen and paper, "we need your name and the land you come from."

He stood tall and replied proudly, "King Dedede, ruler of Dream Land!"

"Oh, so you're a king," the other man concluded.

"Is that your fighter?" the man holding the pen asked, pointing it at Escargon.

Escargon propped himself up on the table and replied, "No, I'm his attendant!"

"Calm down," the man chuckled, "I was just having a little fun."

"Where's your fighter then?" the other man asked.

Dedede looked to his sides then behind him. He saw Meta Knight taking a look at one of the armor suits. The king ran over and dragged him to the table.

"Right here," Dedede said, presenting him, "his name is Meta Knight. Now, about where I'm staying for the night."

The men looked at each other and tried to hold back a laugh.

"What's your problem?" Escargon asked.

"Nothing," one of them snickered, "we just didn't expect him to be so small."

Meta Knight's gaze narrowed.

"Would you just sign us up already?" Dedede said with a hint of anger.

They just continued to chuckle.

"You two."

The sign-up men stopped cold and looked at the approaching man. He was dressed in silver armor. This armor included a thin chest plate, metal shoes, rounded shoulder guards, and a helmet with a short, spiked, extended back. His helmet covered his face except for his purple eyes. The opening was in a V shape, making him look like he was glaring. A sword hung at his waist. His brown gloves were balled up in his fists. He stopped and slammed his hands on the table. The two men winched in fear.

"These men came a long way for this tournament," he said in a low, firm tone, "it would be a shame to turn them away."

"Uh-h, your r-right," they replied as they hurriedly began to write on some papers.

The group looked questionably at the older men. They held up the papers.

"Here's your paper work," one of them said with a big, fake smile.

"It has your room location and your entry number," the other one informed quickly. "Your fighter must have the entry number with him when he is called to fight."

"Finally," Dedede said, snatching up the papers.

Escargon looked through them.

"Whoa, we have a luxury suite in the castle," he said, reading from the papers.

"That's great," Dedede said, slapping Meta Knight's back, "Me and Escargon are going into town. You can do whatever you want."

The king and his attendant turned and headed out the castle. Meta Knight watched them leave until they were out of earshot. He could hear the sign-up men giggling again.

"What did he stick on my back?" Meta Knight muttered.

"Your entry number," the other knight replied, taking the slip from his cape and handing it to him.

Meta Knight nodded to him in thanks and took a look at the slip. He was entry 162.

"A lot of people showed up for this," Meta Knight concluded.

"Yes," the other knight replied as they walked away from the table to make way for some other people. "These fighters came from around the globe. I've heard so many different stories."

"So, what's your story?"

"My name is Valdis. I'm the head knight at this castle."

"I'm Meta Knight."

"Judging by your group, your king chose you for being the head knight at your castle."

"That's basically what happened."

They walked onto a balcony that faced the area behind the castle. Meta Knight gazed at the enormous arena. It was round and tall with no roof. It looked almost like an ancient roman coliseum.

"That's where they hold the tournament," Valdis pointed out. "You can't watch it from here, but there is a room where you can watch the live video of it."

Suddenly, a young man ran onto the balcony.

"Valdis," he said.

"I know," he replied. He faced Meta Knight and said, "I have to go. I wish you luck on your battle."

They turned and ran down the halls. Meta Knight watched them go then turned back to the arena. There was something about Valdis that he thought was a little suspicious.


	3. Chapter III

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter III

"That was fun," King Dedede said, beaming.

"Yeah, we should go into town again before we leave," Escargon added happily.

Both of them were carrying bags of merchandise sold at the markets. They had also eaten at a fancy restaurant for dinner. The sun had set by the time they got back to the castle. Escargon held up one of the papers that directed them to their room.

"Our room should be around this corner," he informed.

They rounded a corner and almost bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" an old man shouted.

The short man wore a red sash across his shoulder.

"You watch it!" Escargon yelled angrily.

Before Dedede could say anything, he noticed the taller man standing next to the angry elder.

"Calm down," he said gently, "they're alright."

"But sire," the short man objected.

The taller man wore clothes with many colors, including a golden cape. A golden crown sat comfortably on his head. He was a little taller than Dedede.

"Who might you gentlemen be?" the man asked politely.

"This is his majesty, King Dedede of Dream Land," Escargon pointed out, "and I'm his attendant, Escargon."

"I'm King Solomon," the man replied, doing a half bow, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Sire, you don't have to bow to anyone," the short man whispered to him.

"This is my advisor, Reginald," Solomon added.

"You're the king here?" Dedede asked.

"Yes. I take it you're here for the tournament?"

"Of course, why else would we be here?" Escargon shrugged.

"You watch your mouth!" Reginald commanded.

"Well, look who's acting all high and mighty!" Escargon argued.

"May I ask what your entry number is?" Solomon asked, ignoring the two bickering men.

"Umm," Dedede replied thinking, "It was 162."

"I see. You're the next challenger. You and Escargon are invited to join us in the king's seat to watch the tournament."

"Well," Dedede grinned, "we really are treated like royalty here. Make sure you save a great seat!"

Solomon nodded and added, "Great to hear. Your match is in the morning. A runner will send for you. We'll let you get some rest."

The kings turned to their right-hand men. They were staring each other down with their angry glares. Sparks seemed to fly between them.

"Should we retire, Reginald?" Solomon asked as if suggesting it.

Reginald reluctantly gave in and replied, "That sounds like a good idea, sire."

They walked around Dedede and Escargon to their rooms for the night. Escargon crossed his arms and growled.

"I don't like that old geezer," the attendant muttered.

"Ah, get over it," Dedede said, "Where's our room?"

* * *

King Dedede and Escargon entered a room and gasped in awe. It was a beautiful guest room that would have made Hollywood jealous. It had the look of authentic medieval royal courters. It was complete with a small kitchen area, two bathrooms, and three separate bedrooms. On top of that, there was a balcony right outside the living area. They stopped aweing for a moment when they saw Meta Knight standing at the balcony.

"How did you find the room without the map?" Dedede asked.

"I asked someone for directions," Meta Knight replied.

Dedede looked at him questionably then slowly looked around.

He took a deep breath and suddenly ran in the other direction yelling, "I call this bedroom!"

"You're not even going to look?" Escargon called, trailing behind him.

Meta Knight came back inside and waited for them to pick their rooms. He wasn't about to have an argument with them if he chose a room they wanted.

"Oh, by the way," Dedede said, popping his head out the doorway, "we're the next challengers. You better not screw up!"

He went back in the room. Meta Knight took a note.

'_So, I'm the next challenger?' _He grinned under his mask. _'This should be fun.'_

* * *

Morning came to the eastern kingdom. The sun was beginning to rise, lighting up the guest dorms. A young man entered the room and looked around. No one was awake yet.

He held out a paper and announced, "Challenger 162 is to report to the arena."

Suddenly, Dedede burst out of one of the bedrooms.

"What, this early?!" he asked.

He ran to another bedroom and threw the door open. Escargon was snoring peacefully inside. Dedede ran up to the bed and began to shake him furiously.

"Wake up! We have to go to the tournament!" Dedede shouted.

"Ack! Already?" Escargon asked as he was being straggled.

The king ran out the bedroom and went into the last bedroom. He flung the door open and ran to the bed. Meta Knight jumped when he heard the door slam into the wall.

"Come on! Get your butt in gear," Dedede commanded as he grabbed his collar.

Meta Knight grew wide eyed as he coughed for air. He clutched the area of his cape that was around his neck. He was being choked as Dedede dragged him into the living area. He was released in front of the stunned runner.

Meta Knight rubbed his throat and said, "Sure, kill me before I fight in the biggest battle of my life!"

"Take us to the tournament," Dedede commanded the runner.

"Uh, yes sir. This way," the young man replied as he went into the hall.

Dedede began to follow him.

"Wait, your majesty," Escargon called out.

"What? We got to go now!" Dedede replied.

"You're still in your pajamas," the attendant added.

The king glanced at his clothes. He was in a bed robe.

"Oh, I'll just go change now," he said, embarrassed.

* * *

"Whoa, everything's supersized here," Escargon muttered.

King Dedede and Escargon were standing on the balcony that served as the king's seat. The overhang showed the whole arena interior. There was a flat, dirt circle at the bottom of the bowl. Stone columns sparsely dotted the battle field. Two opposing iron gates stood out from the tan colored walls. The round stands looked like enormous stair steps. Dedede found it odd that the stands were completely empty.

Suddenly, they looked behind them to find King Solomon and Reginald entering the balcony.

"I'm glad you decided to join us," Solomon greeted while he sat at his throne like chair. "I trust you slept well?"

"Yeah," Dedede replied stretching, "but you called us a little early."

"I apologize," the king replied, "but each challenger must begin early in case the challenge lasts the whole day."

"How come the stands are empty?" Escargon asked. "Is everyone still sleeping?"

"The stands must remain vacant," Reginald replied.

"It's for the spectators' safety," Solomon added. "However, this event is being recorded and broadcast live to the world."

"For safety?" Dedede muttered.

Just then, an announcer came on an unseen microphone.

"Good morning and thank you for staying with us for the next day of the Tournament of the World!" the announcer spectated excitably.

* * *

The Cabinet Minister Parm, his wife, Bun, and Kirby sat on the couch and watched the TV in anticipation. Fumu walked up to them and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you guys just going to watch the tournament all day again?" she asked.

They all shushed her. She crossed her arms and plopped down on the couch next to Bun and Kirby.

"_Our pervious challengers put up a valiant fight, but none yet have succeeded." _The announcer on the TV continued. _"So far, there were 161 challengers that tried for the glorious title by defeating 100 warriors of ascending strength."_

"Can you believe Dedede was going to enter Kirby in that?" Fumu said to Bun.

"Shush, I'm trying to watch," he replied.

She slumped back in the seat.

"_Now we bring you the next challenger, Sir Meta Knight of Dream Land!"_

"What did he say?" Fumu gasped.

The TV screen showed one of the iron gates open. Meta Knight walked out into the field and looked around. He looked at the camera that was floating high above him.

"Whoa, it is Meta Knight," Bun stated.

"_This fighter has not come all this way alone. He is one of the many royal entries in the tournament. His majesty King Dedede and his attendant Escargon have accompanied him to this great event."_

The camera zoomed into the king and his attendant at the king's seat. Dedede elbowed Escargon when he noticed the camera looking at them. He beamed and made a peace sign with two fingers. Escargon waved. A short man wearing a red sash rolled his eyes.

"That explains why we haven't seen his majesty these past few days," Parm concluded.

"_Without further ado, let the tournament begin!"_

* * *

Meta Knight looked to his right when the sound of trumpets filled the air. A referee stepped out to a stone platform at the edge of the field. He held one of his arms up to the opposite gate. Meta Knight turned to the gate when he heard it opening. From the darkness came a large, muscular man holding a large spiked club. He stopped when he entered the field and banged the weapon on the ground. The knight could feel the impacts from across the field.

"This guy looks tough," Escargon muttered.

The referee spoke through the microphone hanging from his ear.

"Challenger 162 will now commence the tournament."

Meta Knight drew his sword and took a fighting stance. The opponent also readied himself.

"The round will end when one side is unable to battle," the referee continued, "the fight shall begin when I give the word."

The man raised his arm.

"Ready…"

Meta Knight's gaze narrowed.

"Set…"

Dedede and Escargon nearly hung off the edge of the balcony.

The judge threw his arm down and yelled, "Fight!"

In an instant, the opponent screamed as he was thrown backwards and slammed into the wall. Meta Knight stood where he once was with his sword held behind him. Everyone gawked in surprise, Dedede, Escargon, Reginald, Solomon, and even the referee. The opponent peeled of the wall and fainted as he hit the ground. Meta Knight straightened, prompting the judge to shake his head and declare the winner.

"Uh, the opponent is unable to battle," he hesitated, "the challenger wins round one."

"That was fast!" Dedede exclaimed, still shocked.

* * *

Kirby, Fumu and her family still gawked at the television screen.

"Uh, did you guys see that?" Bun asked not taking his eyes off the screen.

"No," everyone hesitatively replied, slowly shaking their heads.

"_Unbelievable!" _the announcer shouted, breaking everyone from their daze. _"The challenger triumphed over the first round within a few mere seconds! I don't know about anyone else, but I sure didn't see that! Let's take a look at the slow motion replay."_

The screen showed the scene before the referee threw his arm down. The video was immediately slowed down after the judge gave the word. The screen revealed Meta Knight make a swift leap forward, dash to the opponent while he was stunned, and throw him across the arena with a single swing of his sword. The foe flying through the air seemed to be the only slow part of the reply.

"I didn't know he could move that fast," Fumu stated.

"_This concludes round one, but as I mentioned before things are only going to get harder. Let's see if this warrior can beat the best and become Champion of the World!"_


	4. Chapter IV

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter IV

Meta Knight beat round after round. Nothing seemed to bring him down. He easily defeated the opponents. King Dedede and Escargon cheered whenever he won a round or threw a hard blow to the foes. King Solomon locked his hands together and watched intently.

"The challenger has reached round ten," the judge announced.

'_Why announce this round?' _Meta Knight thought.

"What's so special about round ten?" Dedede asked.

"You'll soon find out," Reginald sneered.

The gates opened once more. Meta Knight got into his stance then froze. Out of the darkness stepped the head knight of the castle, Valdis. He drew his sword and got into a fighting stance.

"Hey, didn't we see that guy at the sign-up desk?" Escargon questioned.

"Valdis is my best knight," King Solomon stated, not taking his eyes off the field, "Many challengers have fallen to him."

Meta Knight looked questionably at the other knight.

"You're part of the tournament?" Meta Knight asked him.

"I'm his majesty's best knight," Valdis replied, "he asked me to be his fighter in the tournament and I accepted. I'm not fighting for honor, but for the thrill of the fight. So far, I've been disappointed by most of the challengers. Seeing that you've gotten this far, I hope you are not an easy victory."

Meta Knight snapped out of his confusion and added, "I don't plan to lose."

"Then I won't hold back," Valdis stated.

The referee held up his arm. He gave the word for the fight to begin. In the blink of an eye, Meta Knight and Valdis lunged at each other and sparks shot out where their swords collided.

"Whoa, that guy's fast!" Dedede shouted.

The two knights jumped away from each other. Valdis lunged at Meta Knight the second he touched the ground. Meta Knight blocked his attack and regained his balance. They then began to strike and block each other. Meta Knight backed up as Valdis swung at him. The opposing knight knocked his sword out of the way for a split second then hit him with the side of his sword. Meta Knight was thrown into the wall. He held his blade up when his saw Valdis coming. Their weapons locked as Valdis pushed against him. Meta Knight pushed back to keep from getting crushed.

"Come now," Valdis stated, "you can do better than this."

Meta Knight groaned. He then propped his feet on the wall and pushed away from it. The combined force shoved Valdis away. Meta Knight then hit him with the side of his sword. Valdis skidded to a halt a good distance away and looked up. Meta Knight disappeared. Then, he looked above him and grew wide eyed. Meta Knight did a battle cry as he came down on Valdis. Valdis just barely blocked the airborne attack and bent backwards to throw him off. Meta Knight landed behind his opponent and whirled around. He was greeted by an incoming fist. The sound of metal being hit rang through the air. Meta Knight cried out in pain and backed up with his hand on his mask. He didn't expect Valdis to recover so quickly from that last attack. The other knight swiftly knocked Meta Knight's sword away and forced him to the ground. Valdis held his sword up to Meta Knight's throat. Dedede and Escargon began to sweat.

"This would be a good time to give in," Valdis suggested.

Meta Knight's gaze narrowed as he replied, "I said I didn't plan to lose."

He grabbed the corner of his cape and wrapped it around himself. He instantly disappeared. Valdis gasped slightly and looked around. He saw Meta Knight come out of nowhere and retrieve his sword. The knight turned to his opponent. Valdis readied for him to charge. Instead, Meta Knight wrapped himself in his cape again and vanished. Valdis was hit by something and skidded to a halt on the ground. Meta Knight had reappeared beside him and smacked him with his sword. Valdis stood up and faced him.

"That's a neat trick," Valdis stated, "but it won't work again."

"I won't need it again," Meta Knight replied.

Then, the knight's golden sword began to glow white. He held it in the air then sliced through it. The light escaped it and sped towards Valdis. He jumped out of the way. The streak of light collided with a pillar and exploded.

"Looks like that didn't work either," Valdis taunted.

"Who said I was aiming for you?" Meta Knight replied.

Valdis froze for a second when he heard something collapsing behind him. He whirled around and saw the pillar that was hit coming down on him. He jumped back before the pillar hit the ground. The shock wave sent Valdis a little farther and the cloud of dust blinded him. He coughed out the haze and tried to figure out where he was. Suddenly, something quickly knocked the sword from his hand. He grew wide eyed when he saw Meta Knight standing in front of him. Meta Knight charged at him from the short distance and uppercut his chest plate, sending him flying out of the dust cloud. Valdis landed hard on his back. He began to sit up from the pain then stopped. He followed the golden pronged sword up to the knight that was holding it. King Solomon breathed slightly in surprise from his perch. Meta Knight glared at Valdis, waiting for him to make a move. Valdis looked back up at him for a moment then seemed to grin under his helmet. He slowly raised his hands from behind him and fell back to the ground. Meta Knight was a little puzzled, but he knew what those actions meant.

"Valdis is unable to battle," the referee announced, breaking the silence, "Meta Knight wins round ten!"

"Booyah!" Dedede cheered.

"The ref never called Meta Knight by his name in the other rounds," Escargon pointed out questionably.

Solomon relaxed and replied, "Any challenger that beats Valdis will begin to be called by their name. Sir Meta Knight is truly a skilled fighter."

Meta Knight lowered his sword. He figured Valdis had passed out, so he began to walk away. Then, he heard someone chuckling behind him. He turned around and noticed Valdis shaking from his laughter from where he lay.

He sat up and said, "That was exciting. You're quiet the swordsman."

Meta Knight grinned and replied, "Your skills are impressive as well. Now I know what you mean when you fight for the thrill of it."

Meta Knight held his hand out to Valdis. He didn't hesitate to take it. Meta Knight helped him up from the ground.

"These challenges are going to get harder," Valdis stated. "Be prepared for what might come."

"Might?" Meta Knight questioned.

"I haven't seen challengers make it past a certain round. Any challenges past that point I haven't seen the opponents for."

"What happened to those challengers?"

"They're alive, but they were badly hurt."

"I see…"

"I must go. I wish you luck," Valdis said as he turned and left the field.

Meta Knight's suspicions of Valdis left with him. He realized why he seemed to act strange when they first met. Valdis was just trying to hide the fact that he was part of the tournament and that they were eventually going to fight.

"So," King Dedede smirked, "who was it that said Meta Knight wasn't going to last ten rounds again?"

Escargon gulped and replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Reginald leaned over to his king and whispered, "This fighter isn't that bad, but I wouldn't get your hopes up your majesty."

"I know," Solomon replied, "but he may make it farther than the other challengers. We'll just see how far."


	5. Chapter V

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter V

Everyone cheered in the living room at the castle when the referee announced the winner of round ten.

"Sir Meta Knight is really good at this," Parm pointed out.

"Piyo," Kirby cheered as he jumped up and down on the couch.

"Calm down Kirby, you'll spill the popcorn," Bun suggested coolly, holding the popcorn bowl to prevent it from tipping.

"_Sir Meta Knight has beaten one of King Solomon's best fighters," _the announcer from the TV stated. _"Of course, Valdis isn't the best. The real challenge has yet to come! With that note, we'll go into a short commercial break. Don't move from that spot!"_

The screen went from the view of the tournament to some cheesy commercials advertising useless things.

"Bun, I want to talk to someone while the commercials are on. Come with me," Fumu muttered to her little brother.

"I don't want to miss the tournament," Bun replied, taking a bite of popcorn.

"You're not going to miss it. Come on," Fumu said, getting up.

Bun sighed and set the bowl aside. Kirby stopped cheering when they both got up and began to leave. Anywhere they go they seemed to be doing something interesting. Kirby got down from the couch and followed them.

Fumu, Bun, and Kirby walked through the halls for a while then came to their destination. They entered a room. Sword and Blade were sitting on the floor in front of the TV. They turned and looked at the group as they entered the room.

"I have to ask you guys something," Fumu said as they got closer.

She stopped for a second when she saw a jar of candy sitting between the two knights. The chair Meta Knight used to sit in obscured the view of it when they entered.

She pointed at it and asked, "Is that candy?"

Sword and Blade glanced at it.

"Yes," Sword replied slowly.

"What about it?" Blade asked.

She looked questionably at them then shook her head slightly.

"Do you know anything about Meta Knight being in the tournament?" Fumu asked.

"Wait, the candy thing wasn't your question?" Sword asked.

"His majesty asked him to be his fighter and he accepted," Blade replied.

"He went willingly?" Bun asked, propping his crossed arms on the chair.

"We were surprised too," Sword added.

"He knew what he was getting himself into, right?" Fumu questioned.

"He said he heard about it, but we didn't think he would go," Blade answered.

"That's weird," Fumu muttered, putting a hand on her chin. "I think Dedede was going to ask Kirby to go."

"Probably," Sword replied, "Kirby is a good fighter."

"I got an idea!" Bun blurted out.

Everyone turned to him.

"What?" Fumu asked.

"Doesn't Dedede have a big TV in the throne room?" Bun asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, he's not around. Why don't we use it?" Bun stated.

Fumu crossed her arms and said, "You just want to watch the tournament!"

"Yeah, Sir Meta Knight is kicking butt!" Bun exclaimed.

"Great idea!" Sword and Blade agreed, turning off the TV and racing off to the throne room.

Fumu sighed and looked to where they were sitting. The candy jar was gone.

"They took the candy with them," she stated.

"What's wrong with them liking candy?" Bun asked.

"I don't know, it just doesn't, ah whatever," she replied, exiting the room.

* * *

Meta Knight continued to fight the opponents without too much difficulty. King Dedede and Escargon were ecstatic when they saw him take on the foes like they were nothing. King Solomon also found he was enjoying himself as well. Meta Knight just defeated another opponent. The referee declared him the winner once again. The judge was starting to sound excited whenever the knight won.

"Alright Meta Knight!" Dedede called from the balcony. "Round 26, keep it up!"

Meta Knight glanced at him as if acknowledging the comment. Once again, the iron gates opened and revealed the next opponent. This time, it was a large, red bird. Its feather ruffled up when it screeched at him. Meta Knight took his usual stance and waited for the judge to start the battle.

"I wonder what Meta Knight will have up his sleeve for this round," Solomon murmured.

The referee gave the word for the battle to begin. The large bird flapped its powerful wings and took to the sky. It circled overhead then began to dive with its talons outstretched. Meta Knight waited carefully then rolled out of the way at the last second. The bird flew above him again.

"He won't be able to defeat this one on the ground," Reginald sneered.

Meta Knight waited for it to start circling again. Once it did, he put one hand on the ground. His cape transformed into large bat wings. He pushed off the ground and flew up to the crimson falcon. He soared through it, hitting its side and sending feathers into the air. He then hovered above it and swung his sword as a taunt. Reginald continued to gawk at the flying warrior.

"That's impressive," Solomon pointed out.

Meta Knight turned to sky and flew higher up as the opponent followed him swiftly. He glanced behind him and noticed the bird was quickly catching up. He pulled himself up before the bird snapped down on him.

Solomon suddenly stood up and worryingly said, "He's going too high up."

"What are you talking about?" Dedede asked.

Meta Knight looked behind him again. The bird had stopped following him. He became puzzled. Suddenly, he felt like he hit something and a strong electric pulse went through him and didn't stop. He cried out in pain and tried to break away from it. Dedede and Escargon gasped.

"What's going on?" Escargon shouted.

"There's a force field around the top of the arena," Solomon replied, "we installed it so none of the opponents would get out. It shocks anything that touches it."

Meta Knight continued to cry out. He could feel his strength fading. Then, the pulse suddenly stopped. He fell from that spot and didn't move. He groaned and opened his eyes. The bird was flying up to him with its beak open, ready to end the fight. Meta Knight gathered his strength and shifted in the air. The bird missed him by a hair. He quickly kicked its back as he continued to fall. The bird lost its balance and flailed around. The knight's cape turned to wings once more and he flew up to the panicking fowl. He flew up underneath it and grabbed its feet. The bird became disoriented as it was turned upside down. He flew higher into the air then put all his power into the arm carrying the foe. He did a battle cry as he threw the bird above him. The thrashing bird didn't go far. It hit the force field and was shocked. As it did before, the electricity stopped and the bird plummeted to the ground. After it passed him, Meta Knight dived down to meet it. They both soon reentered the top area of the coliseum. Meta Knight clutched onto one of the bird's feet. He flew upwards and they began to slow down. Once they neared the ground at a safe speed, the knight dropped the bird. It fell to the ground on its back. Meta Knight gently landed next to it.

"The opponent is unable to battle," the judge exclaimed, "Meta Knight wins round 26!"

"Woo," Dedede shouted, "nice flying ace!"

The birds crimson feathers were singed black at the ends. Some of the feathers that were caught in the force field finally fluttered down to earth. As they fell around the knight sniffed the air.

"Huh, smells like chicken," he muttered.

The bird's eyes rolled to the back of its head as it passed out.


	6. Chapter VI

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter VI

Fumu, Bun, and Kirby walked to the throne room.

"You think it's ok to be using Dedede's TV like this?" Fumu asked.

"He doesn't know about it. We'll be fine," Bun replied.

"Yeah, but did we have to invite the villagers too?"

"I only told a few."

They came to the large double doors. They worked together to open the doors. They froze at the sight of the room. It was completely crowded by villagers. They talked to each other while they watched the big screen TV. Meta Knight was shown fighting another opponent. He landed a hard blow to it. Everyone cheered loudly, almost shaking the room. Fumu turned to Bun slowly.

"A few?" Fumu questioned.

Bun shrugged.

* * *

The day was going on. At this point, the sun was lowering in the sky. No one at the arena seemed to notice. Meta Knight continued to fight with no breaks. He could feel his body getting weary. King Dedede and Escargon were beginning to get tired as well.

"I'm so tired of cheering," Dedede complained hoarsely.

"I think my voice went out," Escargon wheezed.

Reginald chuckled from their pain. Escargon made a sideways glare.

"Would you two like a chair?" King Solomon asked. "You've been standing the whole time."

"Yes," Dedede gasped.

Meta Knight stood before the next opponent. It was a little ball with big eyes. It had no arms or feet of any kind. He looked questionable at it, but he remembered to never underestimate an enemy. Dedede and Escargon plopped down on the cushioned chairs that were brought out for them.

"This should be an easy fight," Dedede sighed.

The referee gave the signal. The ball started to bounce up and down. It got higher in the air then it changed its direction and bounced off the wall. From the wall it went to a pillar and quickly bounced from it to another. All the time it was bouncing, it got faster and harder to see. Meta Knight tried to keep an eye on it, but it was moving too fast. He began to get dizzy, but then shook his head and focused ahead of him. He listened for it to come near him. He heard it coming up behind him. Without looking, he sidestepped and the opponent whizzed past him. It tried to hit him, but he quickly dodged it again and again.

"He's on a roll," Dedede said hoarsely.

"He won't be able to dodge for long, none of the other challengers could," Reginald whispered to Solomon.

The wise king nodded. Meta Knight began to get tired. The small ball ricocheted off a pillar and rocketed toward the knight. He moved, but not fast enough. The opponent hit his receding side. The force of the blow almost knocked him off his feet. The ball kept bouncing and hit him a few more times. Meta Knight regained his balance and panted. He looked up and noticed large spikes shot out from the enemy. He jumped out of the way. Instead of it bouncing away, it torn through the ground and formed a crater where it stopped. Meta Knight stood back up. The sphere retracted its spikes and began bouncing again. The whole process seemed to repeat itself. This time, when it came at the knight with its spiked form, he smacked it out of the way with his sword. It crashed into the ground, but it seemed unaffected. Meta Knight clutched his right arm in pain. The weight of the enemy was immense in its attack form. It transformed back and began to jump. Meta Knight couldn't let it happen again. He ran up to it while it was trying to get some air and uppercut it. The ball went flying into the air. It was spinning so much that it was dazed. Meta Knight clutched his sword with both hands, preparing to end the round. Dedede shook his head and went to the edge of the balcony.

"Hey Meta Knight," he called out.

The knight looked at him.

"We all know you're just going to win! Show some pizazz, we're on TV ya know!"

"Pizazz huh?" Meta Knight muttered.

He looked back up at the ball. It was beginning to descend. He grinned and twirled his sword in his hands. He then held it behind his shoulder like a baseball bat. The opponent grew wide eyed as it saw the knight. Meta Knight's gaze narrowed. Then, he swung his sword. The side of the blade cracked the ball and sent it soaring through the air. It flew so high up that it hit the force field and sent colorful sparks flying from it.

"It's a homerun folks!" the hidden announcer exclaimed.

Dedede and Escargon began to cheer, but it seemed to get caught in their throats. They began to cough as they held their necks. Reginald chuckled. The force field cut the electric current and the ball fell to the ground. When it hit the ground, it was clear that it passed out.

"The ball, I mean opponent, is unable to battle! Meta Knight wins round 43!"

"43 rounds, he has come a long way," Solomon murmured.


	7. Chapter VII

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter VII

Meta Knight was beginning to get really exhausted. He never had to fight this long or hard in his life. However, he still stood ready for the next fight. Dedede and Escargon on the other hand could barely stand at all. Even Reginald and King Solomon were getting tired. The referee's voice seemed to be going out as well.

The next opponent entered the field. As it exited the gate, it towered over the knight. It looked like a giant, metal centipede. It had large pincers and two long antennas. Evil red eyes glared down at the warrior.

Meta Knight sighed and muttered, "You got to be kidding me."

King Dedede was snoring in his chair. He shot up for a second to wake himself up. He rubbed his eyes then they grew wide. He saw the monster towering above his fighter. Without taking his enlarged eyes off the beast, he shook Escargon awake. The attendant reacted the same way the king did. Dedede's moment of shock paused for a second when he noticed strangely shaped dark spots on the robot's back plates.

The judge weakly put his hand in the air.

"Ready, set, ah you know," he said tiredly as his hand waved down.

The centipede swayed from side to side. Meta Knight's eyes followed it. Suddenly, it came down on the knight with a surprising speed. When it hit the ground, a huge dust cloud formed and blanketed the entire battle field. Its head rose from the cloud, realizing that it missed its target. The monster's eyes shown lasers that scanned the dust cloud. The haze turned red as the lasers moved slowly over the ground. Meta Knight held his cape in front of his face to keep from coughing. He was standing underneath the giant metal bug. He was slightly nervous about the huge, sharp spikes that served as the opponent's feet. They raked at the earth as it changed direction.

King Dedede watched carefully as the centipede turned around. Its back was now facing him. The dark spots on its back were still in random positions. Then, the monster stretched its back and the plates got closer together. The dark spots aligned and revealed a hidden symbol. Dedede gasped at the sight of it.

He elbowed Escargon and informed, "Do you see that symbol on its back?"

Escargon looked closer and gasped, "That's Nightmare's insignia!"

Dedede jumped up to the edge of the balcony and shouted, "Meta Knight, that thing is a demon beast! Kill it before it gets to you!"

Meta Knight was stunned. The dust cleared as the monster finished scanning the area. It concluded that the knight must be underneath it. It screeched at the sky then drilled its head into the ground. Meta Knight ran out from beneath the beast as it disappeared into the ground. He could feel the earth rumble as it dug through it. Suddenly, it erupted from the soil and attacked the knight. He dodged the pincers and grabbed on to one of its antennas. The demon threw its head up and thrashed it around, trying to throw him off. Meta Knight slid down the antenna onto the monster's head. He wedged his sword in a crack on its metal skull. He held his sword as he was thrashed around. He felt that breathtaking, stomach turning feeling you get on a roller coaster. He pushed against the metal plate and peeled it off the centipede's skull. He was almost blinded by the red light radiating out from an enormous clear dome. The light came from crimson plasma that sparked furiously inside. Any of Nightmare's demon models that had this dome were instantly slain if the dome was destroyed. Meta Knight held his golden blade over his head, ready to pierce the beast's brain. Suddenly, the monster swung its head so fast and hard that it flung the knight off. He spread his wings and flew down to the ground to soften the landing. The demon glared at him. Then, its antennas moved in circles as it screeched at the sky. The antennas seemed to amplify the high pitched sound. Meta Knight clutched his head in pain from the ear piercing sound. Everyone else at the coliseum did the same thing. The demon seized its cry, but the sound still rang through the air. Meta Knight looked up at the beast as its whole body was about to collapse on him. It crashed to the ground and threw up a cloud of dirt. The sound stopped.

King Dedede let go of his head and looked down at the arena. The beast didn't move from its position. He searched for the knight, but even when the dust cleared he couldn't find him. Escargon looked too, but sighed.

"It must have got him," the attendant informed sadly.

Despair seemed to grab hold of the coliseum. Dedede clutched the railing and looked down. Then, the demon shuttered and made a low groaning noise. The king looked at it puzzled. Its red eyes were flashing to black. Suddenly, something burst through its dome. Hope filled Dedede's eyes when he saw Meta Knight spiraling out of the beast's skull. Meta Knight looped backwards as his sword glowed white. He flew straight at the hole and pierced it with his sword. He sliced it through the edge of the opening and began to fly the length of the monster's body. The demon seemed to cry out in agony. The glowing sword shown rays of light as it cut through the metal armor like it was butter. Meta Knight did a battle cry as he flew forward, dragging the sword behind. He reached the end of the tail and flew to the ground. He kept his back to the beast. Light emitted from the gash. Then, the whole demon exploded in a shock wave. Everyone on the balcony almost got swept off with the blast. When the explosion ended, all that was left of the beast was billowing black smoke. Meta Knight finally straightened, but fell on one hand to the ground. He dropped his sword. Everyone gasped.

"It seems that Meta Knight is unable to go on," Reginald stated.

"What? That's ridiculous!" Dedede argued. He went to the railing and shouted, "Meta Knight, give us a signal; wave your hand, or something! Let us know that you're good to go!"

Meta Knight continued to pant, but raised his hand and let it drop again.

"See? He's fine," Dedede pointed out.

King Solomon thought for a moment then stood up.

"Sir Meta Knight," he called out, "you have bravely fought through 50 rounds. No one has gotten as far as you did. With the day ending, we must draw this tournament to a close, for now. You will have all day tomorrow to rest, so use it wisely."

Everyone gazed at the king is surprise, even Meta Knight.

"Your majesty," Reginald questioned, "I thought you wouldn't allow breaks in this tournament."

He turned to his advisor and replied, "I normally wouldn't, but none of the other challengers made it this far."

The wise king turned and headed out of the balcony. He stopped and turned to the stunned group.

"I believe we could all use the rest. Feel free to order any food or services from the castle," he informed.

With that note, he disappeared into the darkness. Reginald followed him. Dedede and Escargon glanced at each other then looked down at the battle field. Meta Knight was lying on his back, completely exhausted.


	8. Chapter VIII

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter VIII

Everyone in the throne room became less excited. They all heard every word the king said. They soon realized how late it really was, so they began to leave and go home for the night. Fumu, Bun, Kirby, Sword, and Blade were the only ones left in the room. One of the knights turned off the TV.

Fumu sighed and said, "I can't believe Sir Meta Knight fought for so long. He looked exhausted."

"Did any of you notice that last opponent had Nightmare's insignia on it?" Blade asked.

"Yeah, but what's a demon beast doing there?" Bun asked.

"I don't know," Sword replied, "but something just doesn't seem right. King Solomon would be the last person to use one of those."

Kirby looked up at Fumu. She was deep in thought. He tugged slightly at her shirt. She snapped out of it. Kirby looked up at her as if to ask if something was wrong.

"I'm fine Kirby," she reassured.

Fumu looked around the room and sighed. It was a mess.

"Should we clean this up?" she asked.

"Nah," Blade replied, "the Waddle Dee will get it. Besides, we haven't eaten dinner yet. You guys should get back home."

"I won't argue with that," Bun said, "Come on Kirby."

"Piyo," Kirby replied.

With that note, they all went to their rooms for the night.

* * *

"Sire, I don't understand why you would let him have an entire day to rest," Reginald stated.

King Solomon sat on his bed, deep in thought. He looked up at his advisor with a gloomy look on his face.

"Have you forgotten why we held this tournament in the first place?" the king asked gently.

Reginald stopped and pondered his words for a moment.

"I suppose I have," he replied more softly.

Solomon stood up and went to his balcony. He looked out at the town that stood far from the castle.

"No one has gotten as far as he did," Solomon stated, "Meta Knight may be our only chance."

Reginald shook his head and replied, "I warned you not to pin your hopes on him."

"If not him, then who Reginald? I wouldn't have started this fighting if I had another choice."

"He collapsed at round 50. He only made it through the first half and that was the easy part. How do you think he's going to do with the hardest part of the tournament? This is life or death now."

"Then all we can do is hope. If I give him another break then we'll be suspected for sure. We can't afford to lose him now."

Solomon looked up at the night sky.

'_Meta Knight, you must win the tournament, for all of us,' _he thought.

* * *

"Meta Knight, for the last time, get your butt over here!" Dedede commanded.

The knight sat in a chair in the living area of the room. His back was to the king and his attendant. They were sitting at the table in the kitchen. Delicious, steaming food was lying on the table. The food was specially cooked by the castle's chefs. Escargon was practically drooling over his plate. Meta Knight shook his head.

"Don't give me that!" Dedede shouted. "You have to eat something! We _carried _you here! You're in no shape to skip dinner!"

Meta Knight didn't respond. Dedede thought for a moment then smirked.

"Oh I get it now," he grinned, "you don't want us to see your face."

Meta Knight sat up.

"Oh I forgot about that," Escargon added slyly, "or maybe he really has horrible table manners."

"That could be it too. We should give him a plate and a nice dark room."

They both chuckled. Suddenly, something slammed the table. They stopped laughing and looked at Meta Knight who was at the other side of the table. His hand was on it and his gaze was narrowed. Then, he raised his other hand, took off his mask, sat down in the chair, grabbed a chicken leg, and began eating. Dedede and Escargon continued to stare at him.

"Huh, I guess he doesn't do anything embarrassing," the king muttered.

"That really makes you question why he eats is private," the attendant whispered to the king.

* * *

The sun rose over the horizon. Its light cascaded the kingdom below. The sunshine filled the royal courters of the castle. Meta Knight rolled over and faced the sun. The light broke the darkness of his sleep. His eyes slowly opened. He sat up and rubbed his eyes through his mask. Then, his door opened. King Dedede and Escargon were standing in the doorway.

"Oh, you're awake," Dedede said, "just wanted to tell you that we're going into town."

"Maybe I want to go too," Meta Knight replied.

"Well, if you're coming, hurry up and let's go."

Meta Knight got out of bed, but he didn't get any farther than that. As soon as he hit the floor, pain rushed up through his body and made it completely stiff. His right arm seemed to hurt the most. He groaned and grabbed his tense arm.

"What's up with him now?" Dedede asked.

"He must be sore from yesterday," Escargon replied.

"That's a real drag."

Then, they both got an idea. They glanced at each other and grinned. Meta Knight looked up at them and raised an eyebrow. They were smiling at him mischievously.

"What?" he asked them.

The next thing he knew, Meta Knight was being dragged through the halls of the castle.

"Uh, I can walk you know," he added with a hint of nervousness.

"Oh no," Dedede reassured slyly, "You just let us take care of everything."

"I don't really like the sound of that," Meta Knight muttered. He began to struggle and asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere that might help with the pain," Escargon replied deviously.

* * *

"Welcome to The Oasis!" two women exclaimed. "Feel refreshed and renewed through one of our specialty treatments!"

"This castle has a spa?" Meta Knight muttered.

"Are you a fighter in the tournament?" one of the women asked.

"Yes, but I really don't-"

"Challengers get special treatment!" the other woman informed.

"Right this way please," they both directed.

"Uh, that's ok," Meta Knight said nervously, "I'll just be going now."

He turned toward the door, but King Dedede and Escargon blocked it.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dedede smirked.

"Come on now," Meta Knight argued, "I don't need a spa treatment!"

"Oh yes you do," Escargon added. "We're not going to listen to moaning all day."

"I not going to moan all day," the knight stated.

As if those words backfired, a pulse of pain hit Meta Knight again. He moaned from the intense aching.

The two women scooped his arms up in theirs as they said, "Sore from fighting? Don't worry! We'll make that wash away!"

"No, I'll be fine, really!" Meta Knight stammered as sweat began to form on his forehead.

"Well, see ya!" Dedede said waving.

"You know where to find us when you're done," Escargon informed as he followed the king out the door.

"No wait! Take me with you!" Meta Knight called out as he was dragged into the spa.


	9. Chapter IX

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter IX

King Dedede and Escargon continued to tour through the town. They already visited many of the places, but there was still a lot that they didn't see. They came to a section of the village that they didn't see yet. There were less people here. It seemed that only the townspeople were in that strip. It was less cheery than the rest of the town. There were no market stalls. Even the walls were void of color. The king and his attendant walked into it and looked around. The paint that may have been on the walls looked like it was scratched off. In fact, there were long gashes lining the buildings. Dedede frowned at the smashed windows and the uprooted cobble stones on the streets. Some of the people that were there looked depressed.

Escargon stopped and said, "Maybe we should go back. We're probably not allowed here anyway."

Dedede halted and scratched the back of his head. He saw one of the villagers sweeping the dirt from her home. He walked over to her. She receded slightly back in the house as he came close.

"What happened here?" Dedede asked.

The woman clutched her broom handle and stared at the ground. Escargon approached them.

"We should go," he said to the king.

They went to leave, but were stopped by the small cry from the woman. Dedede went back to the woman.

"We're… not supposed to talk about what happened," she said quietly, still staring at the ground.

Dedede raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" he asked gently.

"His majesty doesn't want us to."

"That's selfish!" Escargon objected.

"You don't understand," the woman replied, "he's very torn about letting this happen."

"That doesn't explain very much," Dedede muttered.

"Um, are you two here for the tournament?" she asked, finally looking up at them.

"Yes. King Solomon gave us today to rest," Escargon informed.

The woman gasped slightly at that remark.

"How far did your fighter get?"

"Round 50, but he can go farther," Dedede replied.

The woman placed one of her hands on her mouth.

"No one has made it past round 50," she muttered.

"What was that?"

"He can't loss now," she said, "If he does then he will…"

"Will what?" Escargon asked.

"He'll suffer our fate," she concluded quietly.

Escargon and Dedede looked questionably at each other. The woman went back to staring at the ground.

"I've said too much. You should leave. This part of town isn't for outsiders."

"Told you," Escargon said.

"Alright, we're going," Dedede replied.

They proceeded to leave. The woman went back inside her house and shut the door behind her. The king and his attendant went back to the lighter part of town and walked away from the entrance to the forbidden area.

"That was a little unsettling," Escargon said with his arms crossed.

"Things aren't adding up," Dedede said, his hand resting on his chin. "It almost looked like that part of town was attacked, but by what?"

Then, they saw Meta Knight round a corner and walk up to them.

"Well, right on time," Escargon said, "We got something to tell you-"

The attendant was cut off when Dedede grabbed the stock between his mouth and his eyes.

"How was your treatment?" Dedede asked, ignoring the squirming snail.

Meta Knight hesitated then said, "Good."

"But?" Dedede asked slyly.

Meta Knight shifted uneasily.

"They said I… looked cute," he muttered.

Dedede stared at him for moment. Suddenly, he burst out into a howling laughter. Escargon finally got the king's fist to let him go. Meta Knight glared at the king.

"You really have to stop worrying about that," Dedede said, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. "Well, we can't see much of the place just standing around. Let's get going."

Meta Knight shrugged off the king's reaction and went back down the alley with Dedede and Escargon behind him.

"How come you don't want him to know?" Escargon whispered to the king.

"Because he doesn't have to know," Dedede replied quietly, "he's going to win and we're going to find out what's going on around here."

* * *

Fumu tapped her foot in the air. Her family took a break from watching the tournament since Meta Knight wasn't going to fight. Bun sat across from her on the couch. Kirby sat midway between them. Kirby looked at Fumu with concern. Bun sighed.

"Sis, what's up with you?" he asked. "You haven't moved from that spot all morning."

"I can't stop thinking about that demon in the tournament," she replied.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Bun reassured, "it's dead now."

"I know," Fumu added, sitting up, "but what if that wasn't the only one? Something just doesn't seem right."

She got up from the couch and went to the door. Bun and Kirby leaned on the back of the couch.

"Where are you going?"

"I need answers," she replied, "and I think I know how to get them."

She left the dorm. Bun and Kirby glanced at each other then got up and followed her.

All three of them walked through the halls to the throne room. They went inside and stopped. They saw Sword and Blade already in there, messing with the throne.

"What are you guys doing here?" Fumu asked, entering the large room.

"Probably for the same reason you're here," Blade replied.

"You want to know why the demon was in the tournament too?" Fumu asked.

"Yup," Sword replied, hitting a button on the chair arm.

The huge TV flipped out of its hiding spot above them.

"There we go," Sword said, "now if I can just…"

He hit another button. The screen turned to static at first then it changed to a sign that said 'Holy Nightmare Company' with Nightmare's insignia in the middle.

"Now we should get some answers," Blade said. "We'll get the truth from that little-"

The screen changed from the sign to a view of an empty chair, the same place Customer Service was supposed to be.

"What," everyone gasped.

"_Sorry for the inconvenience," _a recording of the businessman said from the TV, _"but I cannot help you right now. I suggest consulting the manual that came with the installment of the demon downloader. It may answer any questions you might have."_

The recording ended and so did the transmission. The screen returned to static.

Sword growled and muttered, "That snake."

"What now?" Fumu asked.

"I'm not sure," Blade replied, "It isn't like Customer Service to be off duty like this."

While they were talking, Bun found the manual that the recording mentioned. He began flipping through the pages and stopped at one of them.

"Guys, look at this," he called out to them.

They gathered around him.

"This page says something about helping them make an empire," he read from the book.

"Let me see that," Fumu said, reaching over to the book.

She looked through the nearby pages.

"It looks like a brief credits section," she said. "It says that choosing the demon downloader was a good choice over…"

"Over what?" the knight's asked.

"Over falling with the other nonusers," she concluded.

"What does that mean?" Bun asked.

"I'm not sure," Fumu replied, flipping through the pages, "It doesn't say anything else about that."

"That might have something to do with the demon being in the tournament," Sword stated.

"Yeah, but what?" Blade asked.

Fumu put the book away.

"I have a feeling that first demon was just the beginning," she informed.

"Well if the rest of the tournament has demons in it then Sir Meta Knight should be fine," Bun reassured. "He's beaten a bunch of them before right? He always seemed to know all the weaknesses of the ones we fought before with Kirby."

"You may be right," Sword began.

"But he might not be able to fight 50 of them all by himself," Blade finished.

A silence fell over the group.

"Then all we can do for him now," Fumu said, "is hope for the best and prepare for the worst."


	10. Chapter X

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter X

Day turned to night and night turned to morning. Once again, a runner entered the guest dorm.

"Challenger 162 is to report-"

King Dedede came out from his bedroom, dressed, and said, "Yeah we know."

The king walked up to Escargon's room and knocked on the door.

"You ready yet?" he shouted.

"Almost," escaped the room.

He turned to Meta Knight's room and went to pound on the door.

"Don't bother, no one's in there."

Dedede jumped when he saw Meta Knight sitting calmly on one of the lounge chairs.

"Wha- don't tell me you couldn't sleep," the king said worryingly.

"I did," the knight replied, getting up, "I just didn't want you to yank on my collar again."

When Escargon joined them, the runner led them to the arena.

* * *

King Dedede and Escargon walked onto the king's seat. To their surprise, Reginald and King Solomon were already there, waiting for them.

"Good, you're here," Solomon said from his chair, "I hope you're well rested."

"Yup," Dedede replied.

"Don't wear yourselves out again," Reginald stated sarcastically.

Escargon returned an indifferent look. They went to their usual spots on the balcony. They looked down at the battle field below. One of the iron gates opened. Meta Knight stepped onto the field. The referee also entered onto his platform.

"Welcome back to the Tournament of the World!" the hidden announcer exclaimed. "Today, Sir Meta Knight reenters the battlefield, ready for more! He has made it halfway through the challenges, but now he will face the toughest opponents in the greatest battle of his life! Will he become champion, or fall with the other challengers?"

Meta Knight looked to the other gate as it opened. A giant, spider like creature came forth. It was a demon beast he recognized.

'_Doku Kumo,' _he thought to himself, _'Its venom can kill a person in less than an hour. It can be killed when all of its legs are detached.'_

Meta Knight got into his fighting stance. The referee held up his arm to give the signal for the fight to start. Dedede and Escargon stood at the railing anxiously. The judge gave the word and the monster raced up to the knight. He waited for it to come close then jumped above it as its large pinchers snapped at him. He pushed off of its body with one hand and landed behind it. The monster went to turn around, but stopped and cried out in pain. Meta Knight had cut off one of its legs. It landed on the ground and twitched. Escargon's tongue hung out in disgust. The demon glared at the knight. Suddenly, something white shot out from its mouth. It wrapped around Meta Knight's arm. The beast began to pull him towards itself. He groaned as he tried to release his arm from the sticky web. The spider pulled as hard as it could. Meta Knight was yanked from his position and thrown towards it. In an instant, his cape transformed into wings, he dived under the snapping pinchers, and dodged the stinger by a hair. He flew above it. The web that was still attached to him locked under the beast and forcefully flipped it over on its back. The demon thrashed about, trying to right itself. Meta Knight cut the sticky web clean off and dived down to the monster. He cut more of its legs off. It cried out in agony. The knight stood ready before it. It finally got up, but fell to the ground again. It only had three legs left and they couldn't support the beast. It struggled to stand. Meta Knight walked up to it and pointed his sword towards the ground.

"You should've lost some weight," he said as he brought the blade down on its neck.

It cried out once more then its whole body went limp. Meta Knight removed the sword and swung it once to get the green slime off of it.

"The opponent is unable to battle," the referee said, "Meta Knight wins round 51."

"Wow, it's like he knew how to kill it," Escargon informed.

"Come to think of it," Dedede added, "he helped Kirby a lot since he knew about the demons we ordered. That used to be a pain in the neck, but I guess he's useful now."

"He knows about these demons?" Reginald muttered.

"We couldn't have hoped for anyone better," King Solomon grinned.

* * *

Meta Knight seemed to do well since he has battled most of the opponents before. Dedede and Escargon tried to hold back their excitement so they don't tire out so soon, but they couldn't resist cheering for the warrior. Reginald and King Solomon seemed to be pleasantly surprised at the knight's vast experience. The next opponent stood before Meta Knight. It was about the same size as him, was dressed in a traditional jujitsu uniform with the addition of a black headband, and appeared to be carrying no weapons of any kind. After studying his enemy, Meta Knight withdrew his sword and got into a fighting stance.

"Ok, now he's just getting cocky," Dedede pointed out.

"I don't believe that's the case," Solomon added. "This opponent is an open-hand combat master, therefore it doesn't use weapons. I think Meta Knight is being honorable by removing his weapon to be on even grounds with his enemy."

"Yeah," Dedede replied, "but I still think he's being cocky."

The referee gave the word for the match to begin. The opponent raced up to the knight. It quickly threw punches and kicks. Meta Knight blocked and dodged the attacks. He could tell that this enemy had immense power in its strikes. It jumped back and took up its fighting stance. It smirked as its finger coaxed the warrior to strike. He ran up to the demon threw some attacks of his own. The beast dodged and blocked them as well then it started to fight back. Their swift movements looked like a swarm of attacks.

"I'm dizzy," Dedede said as he clutched his spinning head.

Meta knight ducked and swept the ground. The demon jumped back to avoid the attack. Then, it turned and ran in the other direction. Meta Knight ran after it. The opponent ran up a column with the knight standing at the base. It leapt from the pillar and came down on him. To the monster's surprise, he rebound from the column and hit it out of the air before it could reach him. The beast fell to the ground then hopped back up without using its hands. It ran up to the knight and began to strike him. He blocked the attacks and went to throw a palm strike. The demon quickly hit the center of the palm with its fingers before the attack could reach it. Meta Knight pulled his hand back in pain. The limb began throbbing from where it was hit.

"What happened?" Dedede asked.

"That demon just poked him," Escargon replied.

"Then he needs to suck it up," the king said with his arms crossed.

"The opponent hit a pressure point on his palm," Reginald informed, "therefore he may not be able to use that hand for a while, and he can't simply 'suck it up'.

Meta Knight attempted to ignore the pain. The beast resorted to using the spear hand technique. As he swept the strikes aside, the warrior could tell that it was aiming for other pressure points, ones that could cause serious damage. It threw a jab for his arm. Meta Knight dodged it and quickly wrapped his arm around the foe's arm. He kept his back against it, swung around, and elbowed the back of its neck hard. The demon went to the ground, but Meta Knight kept his grip on its arm. He pulled the monster over himself and slammed it into the ground. The opponent recovered from its shock and pressed its thumb into the knight's arm. He cried out and pulled away from the beast. His whole arm pounded. It got up and faced the warrior. Meta Knight knew he had to end the fight fast. He ran toward the demon. It also lunged at him. They crossed and stopped behind each other. The spectators watched in suspense. Suddenly, the demon swayed and held its neck. Then, it collapsed and exploded into a puff of smoke. Meta Knight stood tall for the attack the opponent threw only grazed the side of his face.

"The opponent is unable to battle," the judge called, "Meta Knight wins round 72!"

"That wasn't too hard," Escargon pointed out.

"Yeah, but he better get his sword back out," Dedede added.


	11. Chapter XI

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter XI

As the day went on, Meta Knight began to become weary again. After a certain number of rounds, the demons were unfamiliar and were harder to beat. King Dedede and Escargon were tired too, but their anxiety kept them standing. They too noticed the knight struggling. It was time for the next opponent to appear. Meta Knight looked to the iron gate. It didn't open. He was confused. He also saw the referee leaving his platform and going inside the coliseum. King Solomon and Reginald also got up.

"We have to leave the arena for this match," the king informed.

"What for? Who's the opponent?" Dedede asked.

"You'll see, but we must leave now," Reginald added firmly.

Reluctantly, Dedede and Escargon left the king's seat. Meta Knight was now alone, or so it seemed. After a while, the ground began to rumble. The warrior noticed some rubble moving around him. He readied himself as the earth started shaking more violently. Suddenly, something burst through the ground and a great wind erupted from the opening. Meta Knight shielded himself from the gale, but was swept from the ground. The gust carried him over the wall and hurled him into the air. The knight threw out his wings and hovered above the storm. Dust mixed with the whirlwind, making it look like a tornado. Then, as quickly as it started, the wind began to freeze and form solid ice. The frost curved from the hole to the walls so it formed a giant frozen bowl over the battlefield. The sudden change of temperature reached up to the warrior and took his breath away. Even though it was the middle of summer, he could see a fog escaping from his mouth when he exhaled. He looked to the hole as he shook from the cold. Just then, a giant ice crystal grew out from the gap and began to take form. The many different shards locked into place and clearly revealed the warrior's opponent. It had the figure of a giant man from its torso up. The rest of the body seemed to be inside the hole. It roared at the sky, revealing its piercing crimson eyes.

* * *

King Dedede and Escargon watched the screen in horror. It clearly showed the monster. They, Reginald, and King Solomon had taken shelter inside the coliseum. The camera panned over the arena. The king's seat was completely frozen over.

"That thing's huge!" Dedede yelled.

"How is Meta Knight going to fight that?" Escargon added.

"I don't know what will happen," King Solomon replied, "but you can't lose faith in him."

"What was that," Dedede asked, "you _want_ Meta Knight to win?"

Solomon didn't answer. Then, they heard something running through the halls toward them. They turned and saw Valdis come into view.

"Your majesty," Valdis said as he stopped to catch his breath, "are you alright? I saw the coliseum freeze over."

"Yes, I'm fine," the king replied.

Valdis seemed relieved. After his breathing returned to normal, he looked up at the screen and gasped quietly. He had never seen a demon like the one in the arena. The view went to Meta Knight who was shielding his face with his arm to block out the freezing air.

"No… he'll never survive this," Valdis said under his breath.

"What are you talking about?" Dedede objected. "He'll beat any demon no matter how big it is! You know what they say; the bigger they are the harder they fall."

The group was surprised at his confidence in the knight, but it lifted their spirits. They all looked to the screen and watched the battle unfold.

* * *

The ice demon glared up at the knight. He was still flying above the ice field. The demon's giant arm swung up to him so fast that he was barely able to dodge it. Meta Knight flew out of the way of the hand, but the wind that the movement created pulled him from his balance and he flew out of control towards the ground. He crashed into the ice, but instead of staying there, he began to slide along it. He struggled to stand and keep his balance. He noticed he was circling around the beast, like a ball spiraling down the drain. The demon kept its eye on the warrior. Suddenly, it threw its massive hand down toward the bowl. Meta Knight looked ahead and watched as the opening waned. He put his moment of fear aside and threw himself forward. His speed doubled and he was able to slide right under the arm that came crashing down. He looked back as it tore away and the crushed ice reforming to its smooth surface. Meta Knight faced forward and began skating across the bowl. The demon roared as it swung its arm through the ice toward the knight. He tightened his focus and jumped high into the air. The arm rushed by right underneath him. He landed back on the reforming ice. He grew wide eyed as the monster's other arm crashed down in front of him. He abruptly turned using his sword and raced down to the hole the demon protruded from. It cried out as the knight sliced through its abdomen. Meta Knight skated to the rim of the bowl and went into the air. He came back down and raced to the hole once more. Again, he sliced through the ice and the demon cried out in pain. He repeated this until much of the ice around the monster's stomach was chipped off. The knight went to the sky again, but this time he flew up and around the beast. It glared at him then threw giant ice shards at him. He dodged them and continued to circle the creature. He disappeared after the monster threw another ice shard at him. It looked around in confusion. Then, it heard a battle cry. It looked up to see the knight coming down on it, his sword poised above his head. He pierced the demon's chest. Its roar of pain faded. Its red eyes turned to black.

Suddenly, the icy body began to crack. Meta Knight looked down at the bottom of the torso. The places where he cut broke apart and collapsed. The rest of the body began to shatter and explode into millions of ice crystals. The bowl crack and a great wind erupted from the cracks. The wind blew the shards up into the force field. The barrier shocked the many shards and made a light show similar to fireworks. The demon and the bowl completely disintegrated. The crystals fell like snow onto the battlefield. Meta Knight glided through the snow and landed on the ground. The normal temperature returned and the ice melted into water, making the flurries a mist that concealed a rainbow. The knight would have marveled at the sight, but when he touched the ground he staggered from side to side. The spinning fight made him extremely dizzy. He fell over and watched the rainbow spinning around him.

Meanwhile, King Dedede, Escargon, Reginald, and King Solomon returned to the king's seat and were awestruck by the demon's aftermath. Valdis joined them and looked down at the battlefield. He saw Meta Knight lying on the ground, but he didn't show any concerning signs of fatigue. The judge also reentered his platform.

"The opponent is unable to battle," he announced, "Meta Knight wins round 87!"

"Hey, Meta Knight," Dedede shouted, "this is nice and all, but are you planning on getting back up?"

The knight smirked under his mask. He raised his hand and let it drop.


	12. Chapter XII

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter XII

The throne room was wild with excitement. All the villagers jumped and cheered at the sight of Meta Knight's endless victories. Kirby, Fumu, Bun, and the two knights grew anxious.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, the time has finally come!"_

The crowd grew silent from the voice of the announcer.

"_This is the moment you have been waiting for! Sir Meta Knight has bested all the previous opponents one by one. Now, he shall come face to face with the final opponent, Alpha9260K, also known as, The Death Droid!"_

The whole room shook with excited cheering.

"The Death Droid," Blade asked.

"That doesn't sound good," Bun muttered.

"_The Death Droid is the latest in high grade weapon technology. This is truly a battle worthy of the title Champion of the World! Meta Knight will be in for the fight of his life!"_

"This is crazy! How is he going to beat something like that? He's already worn out from the other battles," Sword objected.

Kirby became worried. He looked to Fumu for some amount of comfort. She was staring at the screen in shock. She slowly looked down at the floor. Kirby almost went into shock himself. He was afraid for his rival.

"This is it, the final round."

Her whisper caught Kirby's attention.

She threw her head up and shouted, "I know you can do it! You can win, Sir Meta Knight!"

Kirby's confidence in the knight returned. He jumped up and cheered for his victory.

* * *

The sound of trumpets filled the coliseum. King Dedede and Escargon hopped out of their chairs and practically hung off the balcony. King Solomon tried to contain his anxiety. Reginald gulped. Valdis clenched his fists. All of their hearts pounded. Meta Knight panted from his weariness. He looked to the opening iron gate. He took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and faced his enemy with his sword poised. The sound of clanking metal escaped the dark tunnel. Crimson, glaring eyes gazed out of the opening. Light reflected off the metallic armor as it walked into the light. It stopped a few yards away from the knight. This was the demon android, The Death Droid. The referee held up his arm. Meta Knight glared into the eyes of his opponent.

"Fight!"

The demon ran up to the knight. He dodged the attacks it threw. Meta Knight swung his sword and hit the steel. It didn't leave a scratch. The robot turned to the knight. He jumped back and guarded himself. Its red eyes flashed. Words appeared in the demons view. A command flashed, "Adapt". Metal plates began to shift on the monsters body. Meta Knight looked at it puzzled. The parts collected in its back and disappeared. The new form was thinner. It slowly crouched down. Suddenly, in surged forward. Meta Knight was surprised, but quickly blocked the attack. The robots strength was immense. It began to throw attacks with lightning speed. Meta Knight blocked the attacks, but found it increasing difficult. He quickly jumped off the ground. His cape transformed into wings and he hovered over the arena. He panted from his struggle. The demon looked up at him. Adapt. Something shifted in its feet. Rockets formed at the bottom and ignited. It launched into the air and hovered in front of the warrior.

"What is this?" Reginald objected.

"I see now," Valdis stated.

They all turned to him.

"The Death Droid is adapting to match Meta Knight's abilities. If this continues, he won't be able to defeat it," he explained.

Dedede growled and shouted, "It's like a demon Kirby!"

"Except this thing doesn't need other objects to transform," Escargon added angrily.

"This isn't looking good your majesty," Reginald muttered to the king.

Solomon continued to watch the fight. Meta Knight glared at the beast. He flew up to it and sliced through it. It was unaffected. It slowly turned to face the knight. Meta Knight flew higher in the air. The demon followed him with difficulty. He curved around and slammed into the side of the demon. It lost control and plummeted to the earth. Adapt. Thin metal pieces came out from its body. It immediately regained control and locked onto the knight. It held up one of its metal arms and its claw like fingers shot out. Meta Knight blocked what he could, but cried out in pain from the claws slicing through him. New fingers replaced the old ones and shot out. Meta Knight flew out of the way and circled the beast. It continued to fire its claws. He flew towards the demon with a battle cry. The robot lowered its arm and flew up to him. He swung his sword. The demon swiftly dodged it, stopped, and uppercut him hard in the stomach. Meta Knight gasped for air. The robot spun around and kicked the warrior. He rocketed toward the ground and slammed into the wall. A cloud of dust erupted from the spot. Everyone in the king's seat gasped. The dust cleared and revealed Meta Knight imbedded in the wall. His gaze seemed blank. He peeled off the wall and fell to the earth, unmoving. The demon landed on the ground and faced the downed warrior. It went to approach him, but was stopped by another command. Disengage. It stood there motionless.

* * *

Silence fell over the throne room. Meta Knight lay still on the screen.

"No, Meta Knight…" one of the knights muttered.

Fumu stared at the screen. She thought, pleaded, for him to stand up. The villagers were holding their breath.

* * *

Everyone stared at the knight. Dedede was clutching the railing of the balcony. The referee didn't really know what to do.

Then he began with a heavy heart, "Sir Meta Knight…is unable to-"

"Hold it ref!"

He gasped slightly, and so did the others in the king's seat. They all turned to King Dedede. He slammed his hand on the railing and pointed at Meta Knight.

"Hey, don't think I'm letting you give up!" he shouted at him. "You've gotten this far haven't you? Have you ever thought of why I chose you over Kirby? He could barely beat five martial art knock-offs! You went through 99 demon beasts! This piece of junk isn't any different! Now get up! You can finish this!"

Everyone looked back to the battlefield. The warrior still didn't move. Dedede let go of the railing and sighed.

The judge waited another moment then said, "Sir Meta Knight…is unable to-"

He stopped when he saw movement. Meta Knight groaned as he began to prop himself up. Everyone's eyes grew wide. The knight grabbed his sword and gradually stood tall. He glared at the robot and pointed his sword at it.

"By the end of today," he growled, "you will know my power."

* * *

The villagers yelled with joy. Some even had tears in their eyes. Fumu was struck with relief. Kirby continued to jump up and down. Bun and the knights mixed their cheers with the crowd. The screen showed everyone in the king's seat cheering as well. Meta Knight got into a fighting stance.

* * *

A new command came into The Death Droid's vision. Destroy. Its rockets ignited. It flew straight at the knight. He jumped into the air and the robots vision suddenly became impaired. It had flown right into the hole in the wall where Meta Knight once was. It dragged itself out and locked onto the knight that had taken to the sky. It flew up him and swung its claw at him. He dodged the attack and sliced through the armor. This time, a long gash appeared on the monster's back. It spun around and swung its arm again. Meta Knight flew out of the way and hovered a few feet away. If the robot had emotions, it would feel a fiery agitation. The command Destroy appeared again in the demon's red glare. Metal plates on its chest began to move. They parted and revealed red plasma sparking furiously inside the chest. Suddenly, the spark's light grew intense and a powerful crimson beam radiated from the chest. Meta Knight threw up his sword and was pushed back by the blast. He landed hard into the stands of the stadium. The beam continued to drive the knight into the stone. He groaned as he tried to push the beam back with his blade. Stone cracked and crumbled all around him. The beam drilled him into the wall, out of sight.

"Meta Knight!" King Dedede called out to him.

The red light continued to drill a hole in the stadium.

"This is it," King Solomon stated grimly, "if it manages to break through the walls of the arena then it will completely destroy the town."

"Wait, that part of the town that was attacked," Escargon muttered then turned and replied, "by that demon! The Death Droid attacked the village!"

"Yes, but we don't have time to explain this," Reginald replied. He turned to Solomon and said, "Your majesty, we must evacuate the town while we still can!"

The wise king didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the crimson beam.

"Look," Valdis said pointing.

They looked to the hole. Something was pushing the beam back. Meta Knight appeared from the rubble. His sword was glowing with a bright light. His cape turned to wings and he flew from the wall. The beam with cut in two as the knight flew closer. Frantic commands were flashing on the demon sights. Evade, Destroy, Disengage, Engage, Adapt. Then, the commands stopped. The eyes' color changed from red to black. The beam seized to drill into the coliseum. Meta Knight flew past the demon with his sword behind him. The robot parted down the middle. Sparks erupted from the cut then the demon exploded in midair. Meta Knight was caught in the smoke. He roughly landed on the ground and panted.

"The opponent is unable to battle!" the referee announced, "Sir Meta Knight wins the tournament!"

Everyone jumped up in the king's seat and cheered. Meta Knight glanced at the joy filled faces. Then he sighed and fell back onto the ground.

* * *

There was uproar of excitement. Anything the villagers were holding was tossed into the air. Some people began hugging each other.

"He did it!" Sword and Blade exclaimed happily.

Kirby continued to cheer. Bun and Fumu were doing a victory dance.


	13. Chapter XIII

Tournament of the World

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter XIII

Meta Knight continued to regain his breath. He opened his eyes when he heard someone approaching. He saw King Dedede walk over and stand over him.

"How'd I do?" Meta Knight tiredly asked.

"How'd you do," Dedede replied almost laughing, "You won!"

Escargon joined them. He and Dedede helped Meta Knight off the ground and kept him from falling again. King Solomon and Reginald walked up to them.

"Sir Meta Knight," the king began, "you truly are the most skilled fighter I've ever seen. I'm honored to award you the title of Champion of the World."

Meta Knight was too exhausted to thank him properly. All he could do was respectfully nod his head. Valdis joined the group with something in his arms.

"Can't forget about this," he said, giving a huge golden trophy to King Solomon.

The king nodded and turned to King Dedede.

"It is with my pleasure that I bestow this trophy to the King of Dream Land," Solomon said formally.

Dedede gazed at it then shook his head and replied, "What are you giving it to me for? He's the one who won it."

He pointed his thumb to Meta Knight who could now stand on his own.

"Very well," the king replied with a smile and gave the trophy to the knight.

He wasn't sure what to say, but was sure that he couldn't hold it up for long. Dedede frowned.

He took the trophy from him and said, "You can hold it on the weekends."

Meta Knight stood there for a moment then began to chuckle. It gradually broke out into a laugh. Soon, everyone was laughing with him. Then, the sound of steady clapping mixed with their laughter. They stopped and turned to the source.

"Bravo. This really is a touching ending."

The small man seized to clap. Meta Knight growled under his mask. Standing high on the stands was the employee of The Holy Nightmare Company, Customer Service.

"However," he added shrugging, "I always liked the movies with cliffhangers at the end."

"Get down here you shrimp!" Meta Knight called out.

He went to pick up his sword, but groaned and stopped where he was. He was aching from the battle.

"Tired of fighting are we?" he sneered. "That's too bad. I would have loved to see any more of those secret techniques you always seem to have up your sleeve."

"We had a deal!" King Solomon yelled. "If your demons were defeated then you would leave this kingdom alone for good!"

"As an employee of Nightmare, I won't hold back on my promises."

He took out a strange device and pressed a button on it. Static began to envelope him.

"I look forward to doing business with all of you in the future."

He laughed as he was completely engulfed by the static. Suddenly, he disappeared with a bright light. Their moment of joy was dashed. Meta Knight stood tall and faced Solomon.

"I think there's something you're not telling us," he stated.

The king nodded and replied, "I'll explain everything in the castle."

* * *

They all sat in an old war meeting room inside the castle. King Solomon propped his hands on the table.

"They came a few months ago," Solomon began. "Customer Service came to the castle and asked for an audience with me. He persuaded me to let him conduct his 'business' here. I had no idea that he had brought horrible demons with him. I became uneasy and began to ask my advisors to find a way to get him and his beasts out of the kingdom. Somehow he got wind of it and sent his demons on the town. The only way I could stop him is to strike a deal. I suggested we start a tournament, the world against all his demons. If all of his demons were defeated then he would leave the kingdom for good."

"What if no one could defeat him?" King Dedede asked.

"Then he could do whatever he wanted to us," Reginald replied.

A silence fell over the room. They were in deep thought.

"That deal was risky," Meta Knight stated, "But it helped none the less. I'm sure the villagers are grateful to finally be free from Nightmare."

King Solomon nodded and replied, "If it wasn't for you none of this would be possible. I can't thank you enough."

"Are you kidding?" Dedede added, "You named him Champion of the World. I think that's thanks enough."

"I don't believe his majesty's gratitude could be expressed by gifts and titles," Valdis stated.

"There's no need for thanks," Meta Knight reassured.

King Solomon smiled warmly then stood up.

"I wish you could stay longer, but I know you would like to get back to your home," he said.

They all stood up and exchanged goodbyes. Soon after that, King Dedede, Escargon, and Meta Knight finally took the long ride home.

* * *

The luxurious car pulled into the castle. King Dedede got out and stretched.

"Ah, it's good to be home," he said as he went to his room for the night.

Escargon was stuck carrying the heavy trophy into the castle. All their names were engraved in the golden plate before they left. It read, "Bestowed to King Dedede, ruler of Dream Land, The Wise Escargon, and The Champion of the World, Sir Meta Knight." Meta Knight stumbled sorely out of the car and made his way inside the castle. He was greeted by a group of friends, Fumu, Bun, Kirby, Sword, and Blade. They immediately ran up to him and gave him a group hug.

"Ack, easy! Still sore," Meta Knight gasped.

They backed off and congratulated him on his victory. He listened to their compliments then convinced them that he would talk more about the journey tomorrow. They all headed off to bed. When he got to his room he was greeted by the welcoming sight of his bed. He tiredly plopped onto the bed and went right to sleep. That became one of the most restful nights Meta Knight has ever had.

* * *

**This is the end of the story. Thanks for reading it. One more thing before you go, let me know what your favorite battle was in the story and why. It will help me write more awesome stories in the future :D**


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